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Interests, Pastimes & Hobbies

Friday, May 2, 2008

What's your idea?

Let me give you a situation. It was a public holiday, one which you deserved a good rest. However, you're pulled out of bed earlier than usual. Lets say you normally wake up at 6 am but for today, you've wound your clock to 5 am. You were to drive and meet up with the group at 6.30 am.

Next, group+you (YOU) headed off to the neighbouring state at 7 am ++. YOU sat in the car for 2.5 hours. Upon arrival, you were greeted by early birds like you.

After paying for the RM20 ticket, you found yourself being led into a dark area. You couldn't see things, that's why they asked you to bring a torchlight. You saw stones around you. The area you just entered smells of cold damp air. You heard water flowing at a distance. The further you walked, the sound became louder.

You were asked to bend the rules. Jumped across the fencing and went down the slope. That's what the mass were doing and you followed. At the bottom, you found your shoes wet. Apparently, you're walking in the river. Was this your idea of a day off? Hitting the street in the earlier hours just to find yourself wet, and worse...you'd gotta pay RM20 for this.

So, you knew this was only the beginning. You had totally no idea of what's to come but it's going to be 3 hours before you could leave this dark & damp dungeon. You walked along the river, you felt sand going into your shoes. You ignored them. You felt your feet landing on gravels and rocks. You'd gotta be careful not to slip and fall into the water. Around you, you saw eroded walls of rough surfaces. Light beams from torchlights around you helped you to find your way. Voices of people could be heard everywhere.

Then, you saw crowds in front of you. You got nearer. You saw one by one people crawled in the shallow water to get across the low ceiling. The 4-legged crawling resulted in their clothes wet. One by one.. by one and your turn came and passed. Your head's aching, cause you knocked your head on the jutting low ceiling.. Your palms and knees ached, cause they supported your weight against the rough gravels.

Then you walked, walked, walked...still walking in water, still walking in the dark... You went up a slope and did a stunt slide down the steeeeeep slope. Your bottom was not only wet but muddy. You soaked your butt in the water. Washed it off and continued. You saw a few people around you have got their shoes torn. The sole flapped open and you noticed lotsa creative ideas to keep going with them.

After what felt like hours, you saw light again. You came to another end from where you entered. The following journey brought you up a stairs back in the dark. You took step after step up the steep staircase to the top. It's like a procession of lights in the dark to the top. Up there, everyone heaved a sigh of relief, though many were out of breath. "The height from the bottom is 155 metres," you were informed.

The smell earlier had gradually turned into some stale smell. Your idea was it could be due to the droppings of the habitants here and the fact that you've arrived to a somewhat stagnant water.

You thought 4 legged crawling is a bad idea until you found yourself crawling with only your head above the water. Your elbows hurt. You did not welcome being soaked in some unhygienic water with the rest. All you saw was that the water was definitely not clear, debris had been a common sight from the beginning. You did not welcome soaking yourself wet and cold in such an hour at an unknown place hundreds of miles away from your cozy bed.

You couldn't quit. You were already wet. There's no turning back. You're experiencing primitive homes. You tried looking at it from a positive angle. "I'm experiencing mother nature firsthand," you repeated to yourself.

When you finally exited, you wanted to wash up so desperately. You paid the RM1 bathing fee. Here, you queued and queued and the line didn't seem to advance closer. The stench was disturbing but the people took forever to shower. "People in there, it's not your bathroom, wei...rinse yourself and come out!" you felt like shouting till you found yourself in it and lost track of the time! Not entirely guilty, you blamed the low water pressure.

7 comments:

Johnny Ong said...

too bad i didnt get to join u fellas y'day. i have never been there myself.

Call me A.S for AkiraSabine said...

Shit, don't let the rest know about this post. It sounds like a rambling but actually seasoned with extra spices. I reckon no one wants to read about a report-like post.
I haven't said anything bout going to a cave. How did you reckon?

Anonymous said...

No photos to share? But that sounds like a very interesting caving outing.

Johnny Ong said...

hahahhaa, dont worry la. this is not rambling. it was a good post.

how did i reckon? i was supposed to be there too.

h@n| said...

That's a very long post. But interesting.

A Better Living
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Valerie said...

Hi Akira--thanks for stopping by my blog the other day! (The one with the teddy bears in new sweaters...)

You cave experience sounds interesting--I don't think I could do it.

We went to a cavern in New Mexico once and I'll never forget the stench. It was from bat droppings....ewwww..... :o)

Call me A.S for AkiraSabine said...

Hi Neo,
Thanks for dropping by. Photos are quite limited, only 1 out of the 10of us brought a cam with him. It was pretty risky considering we had to crawl in the water with only the head above water level. Moreover, to touch the camera with dirty wet hands would be out of the ques.

However, I shall see what he's got and share it here with you. And again, good to know my post didn't put you off a caving outing.



Hi Johnny,
" it was a good post." Thanks, good to know that!

Yeap, I did know you were missing in action. Hmm, I've been thinking I'm still anonymous. *LoL*



Hi h@n|,
Thanks for dropping by. Let me extend my warm welcome to you. WELCOME...BEARLY HUGZ!
Glad that you find it interesting.



Hi Valerie,
Welcome to my blog. I would be wondering you were the Valerie I know if not for your hint on your teddy bear.

Well, haha.. I have the same idea as well. For the moment, I don't think there would be another experience of such in the near future. Maybe some hiking will be good.

Hehehe, can't agree more.

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